Thor: The Dark World
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Director: Alan Taylor
Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston
Length: 120 minutes
Country: USA
Marvel’s Cinematic Universe has moved from strength to strength since it kicked into gear with 2008’s Iron Man. The last two movies of the Marvel Cinematic Universe have gone on to become two of the highest grossing movies of all time (Avengers Assemble at number 3, Iron Man 3 at number 5 respectively). Surely, it was time for a hiccup, a stumble as a result of getting too ahead of itself. Thor: The Dark World seemed to be shaping up to be this stumble. Replacing its director just before shooting, as well as re-shoots happening as late as August, there seemed to be a nervous air around the Asgardian Avenger’s next solo outing. The final result? While it isn’t the complete mess some initially anticipated, it is certainly a step down for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and one that may be very difficult to get back up from.
Following the events of the Avengers Assemble, the nine realms have been thrown into chaos as a result of the now imprisoned Loki’s (Tom Hiddleston) actions on Earth. With Thor (Chris Hemsworth) kept busy restoring order, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) is left on Earth trying to find the means of reuniting with the Son of Odin, following their liaison in New Mexico. However, while in London chasing up a new lead, she discovers an ancient secret, which awakens a dark race of Evil Elves long thought extinct, led by Malekith The Accursed (Christopher Eccleston). Hell bent on throwing all nine realms into darkness, Malekith proves an incredibly dangerous threat for the forces of Asgard and Thor, a threat which sees the God of Thunder pushed to seek the assistance of an unlikely ally; his untrustworthy step-brother Loki.
Thor: The Dark World is an incredibly inconsistent film in regards to its tone. The film for its first quarter has a strange goofy sensibility, and reeks of a Lord of the Rings rip-off in the opening prologue. When the action moves to London to focus on Portman’s Jane, the proceedings take on the qualities of a very standard Doctor Who episode; cringe-worthy, slightly cheap, and filled with annoying sidekicks. So far, so train wreck. Yet, the film somehow manages to find its feet once the stakes are raised, lives are lost, and destruction ensues. And also, it has a lot to do with putting Hemsworth and Hiddleston on the screen together.
While it isn’t the complete mess some initially anticipated, it is certainly a step down for the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Director Alan Taylor, who has already voiced his opinions on the rather restricting influence of Marvel/Disney execs, clearly relishes in the darker realms of this tale. The Game of Thrones regular paints his Asgard and its surrounding realms in a much Earthier tone than Kenneth Branagh’s glossy grandeur back in 2011, and it makes the film feel like a different beast. But there is a certain lack of cinematic panache in Taylor’s direction, which does at times make The Dark World feel rushed and, again, cheap.
There are great touches within the proceedings; an attack on Asgard holds the best action, and it is swiftly followed by a very moving memorial scene that is handled with delicacy and craft, coupled with a stirring score from Brian Taylor. And the rest of the action from there hits most of the beats very efficiently, while the verbal sparring between Thor and Loki remains sharp, quick-witted and humorous. However, as the finale begins to kick into gear, at the very moment that we should start to feel the incredible threat that Malekith should possess, darkness is thrown away in favour of cheesy jokes, stupidly convenient plotting, and attention to characters that we care little about. Eccleston is given little to no material to truly bite into as the chief antagonist, Portman is reverted to being a mere damsel in distress, while too much focus is given to Kat Dennings’ Darcy, a character who may as well not exist, as she bears little to no significance in the film’s plotting.
The troubled production can most certainly be felt through the course of the film, from its rather flat opening to its rushed and anti-climatic ending. At some point in its conception, there was a much darker film here, a film that would have played much more to the director’s strengths, and have given the cast much more to do. This is the first time since Disney’s acquisition of Marvel that a film from Marvel Studios has felt like it has been significantly tampered with by the Mouse House, and it has not been for the better. The result is a patchy, tonally muddled, very occasionally great, yet ultimately deflating experience that has me somewhat nervous for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
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